Bishop-designate David Zubik has decided not to live in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese's $1.5 million bishop's residence on the border of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill and will reside instead at St. Paul Seminary in East Carnegie.The decision ends a 57-year tradition of bishops living at the 21/2-story, 11-bedroom brick home on Warwick Terrace.
The 9,248 square-foot home, built in 1911, is appraised at $1,498,400 on the Allegheny County property Web site.
Bishop Zubik announced his intentions last week before 240 Catholic priests from Pittsburgh who were at the triennial gathering of diocesan priests at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, W.Va., for continuing education, fellowship and recreation.
They applauded his announcement.
"It was an ancient tradition of the bishop to live at the seminary to assist with the formation of priests and to get to know them better," said the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the diocese.
"It's also a sign of our need to foster and encourage vocations in the priesthood."
Father Lengwin said no decision has been made about the future of the house, which sits on a private drive on 13/4 acres.
The property was donated to the diocese in 1949 by the late David I.B. McCahill, who as a 14-year-old ran away from his family's Iowa farm to work odd jobs in Chicago. He later joined the Navy and saw action in the Spanish-American War, the Philippines and the Boxer Rebellion. A graduate of Drake University, he taught public utility law at the University of Pittsburgh for several years.
Mr. McCahill made his fortune, however, through the acquisition of a dozen transportation, power and land companies in Pittsburgh after World War I.
He died in 1971 at age 87.
The first bishop to live in the residence was the Most Rev. John Dearden, the diocese's seventh bishop, in 1950. It has been the residence of every bishop since.
Over the years it also has been used for meetings, for overnight visits of church dignitaries and by priests recuperating from illnesses.
The Medallion Ball Tea is often held there.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl had his annual Christmas reception there when he was bishop of the diocese.
Its most famous visitor may have been Giovanni Cardinal Montini, who stayed overnight in 1951. In 1963, he became Pope Paul VI.
According the county property Web site, the house has 24 rooms, six full baths and one half-bath.
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